The Gift Of Living Forever
by Gravity-Chan
Summary: An immortal curse wasn't so bad to him when her had her by his side.


**I've been working on this One-Shot non-stop for almost a week now, which is why I haven't updated any of my fanfictions yet. I hope you guys like this, please review and tell me what you think! I really love how this turned out. 6, 188 word count without Author's Notes. That's the longest piece I've posted on here.**

**Summary: An immortal curse wasn't so bad to him when her had her by his side.**

* * *

Natsu let his legs swing back and forth off the edge of the skyscraper's roof, frowning down at the tiny streets below. The people there looked even smaller than ants; he could barely even tell they were there at all. If he didn't know better, he would think he was all alone in this world.

In a way, that was true, but that's a story for another time.

Natsu stood up, his fingertips brushing the scale-pattern scarf wrapped around his neck despite the warm spring weather. He had never been one to keep up an image, though. Not when he had a life like his.

Natsu sighed and walked back to the floor below him, grabbing an elevator to the ground floor. To anyone around him, he was just a regular young man, perhaps in his early twenties. They'd never guess what he really was.

Natsu shuffled out of the elevator and headed outside, onto the streets. He stood in front of the skyscraper for a moment, silently people-watching. He spotted a young couple desperately trying to quiet down a screaming child, and a bitter smile replaced his frown as he remembered when he had yearned for a family like that. That was a very long time ago.

Natsu tore his eyes from the young couple and began to shuffle down the street, his hands tucked into the pockets of his denim shorts. He kept his eyes low, hiding his gaze from others. He didn't smile at the passersby like he used to, simply ignored them, his attention directed on the stretch of concrete in front of him.

Normally on a day like this, he would walk until he feet ached and he couldn't walk anymore. However, his attention was diverted by a sudden impulse inside of him, like a voice in the back of his head. Turn left. Natsu frowned and glanced to the left, where a damp alleyway stretched into impenetrable darkness. For a moment he considered whether or not he should trust his impulses, and finally decided he had nothing to lose and sauntered into the shadows, unfazed by the dark vicinity.

As he walked leisurely down the dark alleyway, Natsu began to pick up the sounds of voices. He frowned thoughtfully. Not many people decided to meet in a deserted alley. As the voices became louder, however, he recognized the sound of struggle, desperate cries for help. His eyebrows furrowed in concern and he sped up his pace.

Natsu rounded a corner, his pace now nearly a jog, and spotted the source of the noise. A girl was pressed up against the back of the dead-end street, and a tall, somewhat burly man stood between her and Natsu, and although he couldn't see the man's face, he could picture the wicked grin that must be plastered on it.

The man held the girl's right wrist, preventing her escape. "Get off me!" she growled, but the man's grip on her wrist was like an iron cuff, and she couldn't break free.

"Come on, cutie," the man sneered in a low, almost threatening voice. "Come play with me for a while."

Natsu scowled. Men like this one sickened him to no end. "Maybe she doesn't want to," he called out, startling both of the people in front of him.

The man turned on Natsu, revealing his face. He had shaggy, unkempt red hair and beard stubble dotted his chin. He had a crazed look in his amber eyes, and the stench of alcohol hit Natsu full force. "Stay out of this," he warned, suddenly pulling a gun from his back pocket and pointing it at Natsu. "If you value your life, you'll keep walking and pretend you never saw anything."

Natsu retained his annoyed expression, taking a step forward. "I think our positions are reversed. You should be the one leaving," he answered, his voice oddly steady for being at gunpoint.

The man's expression hardened and then twisted into an ugly expression of rage. "If that's how you feel," he muttered, his hand tightening on the gun's handle. "then go to hell!"

The girl screamed as the sound of gunshot echoed through the alleyway. Her free hand rose to her mouth, a look of horror on her face. Natsu stumbled back a few steps as the bullet struck his abdomen, just off the center of his stomach. It was a lucky hit, he could tell. The man was drunk and his hand shook as he held the gun in his hand.

Natsu recoiled from the hit, doubling over slightly. He winced; the pain was worse than he remembered. He let out a long breath and steadied himself, then straightened up again. His eyes narrowed angrily. "That was a bad idea," he said, holding up the bloodied bullet, which he had pulled from his stomach.

The man had a look of utter shock on his face, and his hand began to shake more until he couldn't hold his gun anymore. The weapon clattered to the floor noisily. "Y-You should be dead," he whispered in shock.

"I should be," Natsu agreed. "But unfortunately, I'm not like you." he paused, pointing behind him and taking a step to the side. "Get out, and don't come back, you sick bastard."

The man didn't need to be asked twice. He scrambled out of the alley, nearly falling on his face in the process, and disappeared from sight, his gun left forgotten on the dirty floor.

The girl in front of him remained frozen in her position, her wrist still touching the wall where it had been trapped there. Natsu turned to her, his gaze softening. He took a few steps forward until he was right in front of her. "Are you alright?" he asked softly.

The girl nodded wordlessly and opened her mouth to say something, but all that came from her was a squeak of surprise. Natsu pushed her hair back from her left shoulder, his fingers brushing her cheek. He lightly touched a shallow cut on the side of her neck that was dripping blood onto her shoulder. "You're hurt," he murmured.

"O-Oh," the girl stuttered, touching the cut lightly. "He had a pocketknife when he assaulted me. He must have cut me," she said. "But I think you have it worse than me! You got shot in the stomach! Oh god, you need to go to a hospital!"

Natsu shook his head. "I'm alright," he grunted, pulling up his shirt a little to reveal his wound.

The girl gasped and reached out her hand without thinking, her fingers brushing over the spot where he had been shot. Instead of a wound, there was smooth skin, unharmed. "There's no mark," she murmured in awe.

Natsu grinned sheepishly. "That's a long story," he said. "One you may not completely understand." he paused, his lighthearted expression fading. "You really should take care of this, though," he added, running his finger over the cut on her neck.

The girl winced and sighed in defeat. "Alright," she murmured, bending down to retrieve a fallen purse on the ground. She shuffled through it until she found what she was looking for; a miniature first aid kit. "It can't hurt to be prepared, right?" she said softly, smiling sheepishly. She pulled out a package of wipes and carefully cleaned the blood away from her cut before covering it with a band-aid.

"I suppose not," Natsu answered, and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Well, if you're alright, then I should be going." he turned and started to walk away, ruffling his salmon-colored hair with one hand.

"Wait!" Natsu paused and turned to look back at the girl, an inquisitive look on his face. She fiddled with the hem of her shirt nervously. "Um, what's your name? I feel weird not knowing who rescued me."

Natsu blinked, surprised, then a smile graced his normally serious face. "Natsu Dragneel," he answered, turning back towards her. "What's yours?"

"Lucy Heartfilia," the girl answered with a small smile in return. She paused, thinking for a moment, then her face lit up and her smile broadened. Natsu found himself liking that smile. "I know," she said, smacking her fist into her open hand. "Why don't I treat you to dinner, as thanks?"

Natsu blinked in surprise. "Dinner?" he repeated. That sounded a little too… public for his tastes. "I don't know…" he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "Crowds make me nervous." Mostly because he hadn't had a lot of social interaction in a while.

Lucy giggled. "Alright, what about at my apartment?" she suggested. Immediately she wondered what she was doing, inviting a stranger to her apartment. Sure, he had just saved her from a creepy guy, but that didn't excuse the fact that she didn't know anything about him. There was something about him that made her want to know more, though. Maybe is was the mystery that surrounded him.

Natsu still looked reluctant, but finally agreed. "Alright, I suppose it wouldn't hurt," he conceded.

* * *

Lucy's apartment was nice, Natsu had to admit when he entered. It was also surprisingly close to his own. As he entered through the front door, he was greeted by a homely living space complete with a nice-sized television and a fireplace. A hint of lavender scent was in the air" courtesy of thr air freshener on the far wall.

"It's a little messy," Lucy apologized as she picked up a book from the floor and placed it on a rather large bookshelf against the far wall. "I haven't had time to tidy up yet today. Go ahead and make yourself at home."

Natsu nodded and stood by the couch, silently observing the quaint house. Aside from the living room, there was a kitchen with an island separating it from the eating area, where a table sat with four chairs around it. A small shelf sat behind the table and was lined with various cookbooks. "Nice place you got here," he commented.

Lucy smiled. "I do my best to keep it looking clean, but I'm not a very tidy person," she said.

"It's better than my place," Natsu said with a bitter smile. His small apartment was always messy and smelled faintly of fish, courtesy of a stray cat he had picked up a while ago.

Lucy sighed, content at her now fairly clean living space, and moved to the kitchen. "I have some leftover lasagna in the fridge, if that's okay with you," she suggested, pulling out a small tray covered with tinfoil. "It's a few days old, but it's a personal recipe."

Natsu nodded. "That's fine," he answered. "Should I wait at the table?"

Lucy nodded as she stuck the lasagna in the microwave. "I'll only be a few minutes," she answered. "Go ahead and sit down."

Natsu obliged, taking a seat at the table. He let his eyes wander to where Lucy was bustling around the kitchen, pouring cups of water while she waited for the lasagna to finish heating up. She was humming a tune he didn't recognize as she went back and forth across the small kitchen space, and he allowed a small smile to replace his frown. She was cute when she smiled like that.

Lunch between the two of them was surprisingly easy. Natsu found that Lucy was a great conversationalist, and was able to keep up with his wandering mind. He found himself smiling more and making jokes, something he hadn't been able to do for a long, long time. He wanted to know more about Lucy. He asked her questions about her life, her job. She worked at a local publishing company as an editor for new novelists, something she told him she enjoyed very much. He learned that her birthday was on July 1st and that she had recently had her first book published.

She intrigued him. Maybe it was the lack of contact he'd had with people for the last little while, but he found her smile rejuvenating and her spirit energizing. He found himself comfortable in her presence, and she seemed pretty comfortable with him as well.

"So, Natsu, I've been meaning to ask you," Lucy said, interrupted their conversation about the people at her work. "About the gunshot wound."

Natsu froze. He knew this was coming, but he was dreading it. Whatever he said now would determine what she thought of him. "Well, that's complicated. You probably won't believe me," he said evasively, looking away. "Most people freak out or laugh when I tell them." Or they think I'm crazy, he added silently to himself.

Lucy blinked at him curiously. "I have some strange friends, so I think I can take it," she insisted. "It's only natural that I would be curious, right?"

Natsu found himself wondering if she was down-playing the incident. Technically he should be dead right now of a bullet to the stomach, but he was perfectly healthy and with no mark. He contemplated whether to tell her the truth or not. After a moment of arguing with himself inwardly, he let out a sigh and decided to say it bluntly. "I'm cursed," he said finally. "I can't die, ever."

Lucy was, to say it clearly, speechless. She had expected something more along the lines of 'I was wearing a bulletproof vest' or something like that. Natsu was right when he said she wouldn't believe him. "That's impossible," she said. "No one can live forever. There's no such thing as curses."

Natsu ran a hand through his hair, still refusing to meet Lucy's eyes. "I know it's hard to understand," he said. "But it's the truth. When I was twenty-two, I was cursed. I'm going to be like this forever." he gestured to himself. Seeing Lucy's disbelieving look, he sighed heavily and stood up. "I understand if you think I'm crazy. I'll leave now," he murmured, turning away and walking towards the door. He should have known this would happen. He should have left when he had the chance. He should have just left her in the alleyway. She would have been fine. She would have-

Natsu was interrupted from his self-pity by a tug on the back of his shirt. He blinked and glanced over his shoulder to see that Lucy had stood up from her chair and grabbed the hem of his shirt before he could leave. "Wait!" she cried. "Don't… don't go yet." she released the edge of his shirt and let her hand drop to her side, glancing downwards. "I believe you."

"What?" Natsu whispered, frankly very confused. Was it even possible for her to believe him? They'd known each other for a whole two hours, there was no way she could trust him so easily. He glanced down at her. "How can you believe me so easily?" he asked, his dark eyes flicking between her chocolate brown ones.

Lucy gave a little shrug of her shoulders. "I don't know," she answered helplessly. "It just feels like I should trust you." she raised her head a little and met his, giving him a small smile. "You haven't given me a reason not to trust you yet."

Her smile was beautiful, and right away Natsu could feel the walls he had spent so many years building up crashing down around him. With just those simple words, she had him. He took a step forward suddenly and wrapped Lucy in a tight embrace, hugging her head close to his chest, his nose brushing her hair. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice wavering with emotion.

Lucy could feel her cheeks warming at his words and actions. "Thanks for what?" she asked. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest and she felt light for some reason.

"For believing in me," Natsu answered. "It's been so long… since I've talked to anyone like this. Maybe the world isn't as bad as I think it is."

* * *

After that, Natsu and Lucy became best friends. She helped him to come out of his shell a bit, and he helped her to have a little more fun and be less stingy. It was almost remarkable how fast they became friends. Lucy introduced Natsu to her friends, and although he was quite awkward at first, he quickly managed to warm up to them.

Lucy had changed his life. His curse had caused him to retreat into solitude, but she was pulling him out of the shadows. He had friends, real friends, not just a cat he had picked up off the street, though Happy remained his favorite animal. He even had a rival, Gray Fullbuster, who brought out his competitive side and relieved his restlessness. He didn't tell them his secret yet, deciding to wait until they were a little closer. For some reason he couldn't see them as being as accepting as Lucy had been.

Lucy. Just the thought of her made him smile.

It had been nearly eight months since his first encounter with Lucy in the dark alleyway in Magnolia. He no longer hid out in his apartment, ignoring the world, instead he embraced it. He knew that his new friends wouldn't be around forever, but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind, focusing on the here and now. He had gone out ice skating with his friends, something he had never been very fond of, and he was quite angry to see that Gray was a seasoned expert on the sport.

"I'll get you, Fullbuster!" he yelled as the dark-haired man rushed past him yet again, knocking him to the ground. He decided that he hated ice skating. It wasn't that he had bad balance; in fact, his balance was impeccable, but the skates wouldn't move the way he wanted them to. He clambered to his feet again, struggling forward a few feet before slipping and landing on his back on the hard ice. He could hear and cackles of laughter from Gray and he flailed around, trying to get to his feet.

"In your dreams, Dragneel!" Gray retorted, coming to a graceful stop at the other end of the ice rink.

Natsu opened his mouth to argue further, but was interrupted by a giggle behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted Lucy standing over him. She had an amused smile on her face and was trying to hide it behind her hand. "What's so funny?" he demanded defensively, scrambling to his feet once more, though his balance was still quite wobbly, and Lucy had to grab his arm to keep him from face-planting.

"Careful," she reminded him. "You don't have to keep up with Gray. He's been doing this for years." she pulled him forward slightly, still hanging onto his arm, and Natsu followed behind her, desperately trying to stay on his feet.

Lucy giggled. She reminded him of Bambi, his feet going all directions but where they were supposed to. "Turn your feet out a little," she suggested. "It'll help with your balance."

Natsu was obviously not so keen on the idea, but did as she asked, finding the results to be in his favor. Cautiously, he pushed forward, finding this method much easier than his previous one of flailing around and hoping he didn't fall over. He gave a large grin. "This isn't so hard!" he exclaimed.

Lucy smiled at Natsu's excitement, something she'd been seeing a lot of lately. She was glad he was happy with his new friends. "Now go get Gray!" she cheered. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself, but she was too caught up in the moment to care.

Natsu took off, still looking quite clumsy but otherwise staying on his feet, while Lucy took a more leisurely pace around the rink, getting lost in her own thoughts as she did. So much, in fact, that she didn't notice when Natsu reappeared at her side until he was waving a hand in front of her face. "Earth to Lucy!" he called, an annoyed expression on his face. "Geez, can you even hear me?"

Lucy blinked and her face flushed red in embarrassment. "Sorry! I was thinking," she said quickly. "What's up, Natsu?"

"We're leaving," Natsu informed her, jerking his thumb to where Gray, Erza and Wendy were already leaving the building. "I told them I'd find you and meet them outside."

Lucy nodded. "Alright, then let's go," she said with a smile, heading for the gate that lead off the rink. Natsu followed close behind her, and they headed to where lockers held their shoes and other stuff they might have brought. Natsu pulled a key from his pocket and opened his locker, replacing the rented skates with his dirty tennis shoes.

He glanced at Lucy, who was still smiling and humming a gentle tune. He felt his face heat up and quickly looked away. The past few weeks had been somewhat awkward between him and Lucy. He found himself thinking of her at odd times and he always felt better when she was around him. He remembered things about her that he didn't remember about anyone else, like her birthday, and her favorite color.

He was falling for her, hard, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He groaned softly and ran a hand through his hair, frowning. No matter how much he cared for her, Natsu knew he could never be with Lucy. She would grow old and die, and he would still be there, a twenty-two-year-old man. He couldn't put Lucy through that.

"Ready to go?" Lucy snapped Natsu out of his depressing thoughts, leaning over with her head turned to look at his face. She frowned slightly. "Are you alright? You look sad."

Natsu looked up, feeling his heart jump. He gave a small, bitter smile, hoping to reassure her. "I'm fine," he murmured in reply. He let his smile fade a bit, his breath catching in his throat. "Lucy, I-"

"Hey, are you guys coming or what?" Natsu's head jerked towards the source of the voice and spotted Gray staring at them, an irritated look on his face, with his arms crossed and his foot tapping impatiently. "We promised to have Wendy home by four o'clock, and it's almost four now!"

Lucy quickly grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "I'm coming!" she called, running over to where Gray was waiting. Natsu followed behind her, dropping his skates off at the front desk. For once, he was actually glad Gray had interrupted. Who knew what he would have said if he hadn't? He glared at Gray anyway, however, because it would seem out of his character to thank him for anything.

Wendy was the youngest of the group, only seventeen, but she had known Gray since high school. Wendy's mother was absurdly protective and didn't like that her high school friends were now adults, even though Wendy insisted they were nice people.

Erza had driven everyone to the ice rink, so she had the responsibility of driving everyone back as well. Unfortunately, her car was only barely big enough for five people, meaning that three of them had to squish in the back. Gray reached the shotgun seat before anyone else, which left Lucy, Natsu and Wendy to squeeze into the back seats.

Luckily, it didn't take long to drive Wendy home. Natsu sighed as he scooted from the middle seat where he had been forced to sit to the window seat Wendy had opened for him. He glanced once at Lucy, who was shifting slightly to get comfortable in the car's seat.

Lucy glanced up at Natsu. "Oh, I almost forgot to ask, what were you going to tell me at the ice rink?" she asked. "You were saying something when Gray interrupted us."

Natsu blinked and turned away to hide the blush that was creeping up his neck. "It was nothing," he answered.

Lucy pouted. "Aw, come on, Natsu, I'm curious," she said. She tugged restlessly on the hem of her skirt, a restless habit of hers.

Natsu gave her a sheepish smile. "Well, I guess I could tell you when we get to your place," he said. "I don't live too far from you, I could walk home from there. It's just…" he trailed off, his gaze flicking to the two adults in the front seats. "It's a little personal."

Lucy nodded in understanding. "Alright, thats fine," she agreed. "I have a few jobs you could help me with while we're there," she added with a wink.

Natsu rolled his eyes with a good-natured grin, but nervousness overpowered all other emotion he might be feeling. What am I thinking! he wondered, clenching his teeth. I can't tell her that I love her. I can't. It would change everything.

"We're here, Lucy," Erza announced as she pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex.

"Thanks, Erza," Lucy smiled at her friend and climbed out of the back seat. "Natsu's going to help me with some odd jobs at my apartment, so you guys can go now." Erza nodded and waited until both adults were out of the car before driving away.

Natsu followed Lucy up to her apartment. "So what did you want to talk about?" she asked as she hung her coat on the coatrack by the front door and slipped off her shoes.

Natsu sucked in a breath. "Well, uh," he stuttered, trying to think of something to cover the fact that he had originally planned on confessing. A glint of light caught his attention and he turned his head to look at it, spotting a picture sitting on her mantle. He let his sentence hang as he walked up to the photo, picking it up from the mantle and holding it gently. In the photo he could see what looked like a young Lucy with a woman who looked identical to her and a man with light brown hair and a neatly cropped mustache. "What's this photo?" he asked.

Lucy looked up from a stack of papers she was examining and made her way over to Natsu, peeking over his shoulder at the photo. A sad smile appeared on her face. "Those are my parents," she murmured. "My mother died when I was little, and my father died when I was seventeen, four years ago."

"I'm sorry," Natsu said in a voice barely above a whisper. He had an odd expression on his face. "That must have been hard." he paused, his eyes gazing at the photo in his hands. "I never knew my parents. I was adopted at a young age,"

Lucy nodded. "Yeah, it was hard," she whispered. She sniffed a little, drawing Natsu's attention from the photo. Lucy had tears in her eyes, and when she blinked, one rolled down her face. "I'm sorry," she apologized, wiping the tear away. "It's just hard when there's no one left who loves you."

Natsu nodded. "I know how you feel," he said, replacing the photo on the mantle of the fireplace. He turned back to Lucy. A second tear had made it down her face. He gently reached out and brushed it away, giving Lucy a gentle smile. "But you know, there are still people who love you, so don't cry anymore."

Lucy glanced up at Natsu, opening her mouth to reply, but she shut it again when her eyes met Natsu's. His dark eyes were filled with something she couldn't explain, and he had a comforting smile on his face. He leaned forward, his hand gently cupping her cheek, and she felt his warm lips envelope hers in a gentle kiss. Her breath quickened at the action and her heart jumped. Her hands moved to his shoulders and her eyes fluttered shut, returning his kiss eagerly. His free arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him so that their bodies pressed against each other. Lucy's lips were warm and soft, and she seemed to fit against him perfectly.

Natsu broke their kiss first. "I love you, Luce," he murmured against her forehead, using the nickname he had created for her. "So now you can't complain about not being loved, right?" he smiled down at her.

Lucy gave a small smile back, her face blushing pink. "I love you, too," she replied, laying her head in the crook of his neck.

He knew he would outlive her. He knew it was pointless to fall in love. He knew once she left him, he would never be the same. But right now, in this moment, he didn't care.

* * *

Lucy and Natsu dated for two years before he proposed to her. Of course, everyone was ecstatic, and most had seen this coming for a long time. She was twenty-three when they got married, and twenty-six when she bore their first child, a daughter, Nashi. In the next six years she would have two more children, a son, Haru and another daughter, Layla. She was three months pregnant with their fourth child when it happened.

Lucy had been on a trip to visit her friend Levy and her husband Gajeel to see their first child, and on the plane ride home, there were problems with the engines, and the plane crashed into the sea. Her body was never found.

When he found out, Natsu locked himself in their house and barely came out. He had known for a long time that this day would come, but he never imagined it would be so soon. By then, Nashi was seven years old, Haru was four and Layla was two. The three immediately noticed the change in their father's personality. They did their best to cheer him up, and after a while, he began to smile again, but he was never truly whole without Lucy there.

Years passed. Natsu told his friends and his children about his curse. Of course they were shocked, but to his surprise, no one called him a monster, as he had expected. He watched his children grow old, get married and have children of their own. He watched as he outlived all three of his children and a few of his grandchildren as well. He lived in his house, alone. All of his friends, the people he had once cared for, died, until he was the only one left.

Now he sat at the beach, ankle-deep in the cold ocean water, reflecting on everything he had been through. More than anything, he just wanted to see her again. He wished he could die. She was the one who had made his eternal curse bearable, and without her, there was nothing left to live for. He cried that night, not for the first time, and wished fervently there was some way to bring her back.

"You can't bring her back," a voice echoed from behind him. Natsu's head whipped around to see a dark-haired man staring calmly at him. "But I can take you to her."

Natsu stared at the man in shock. "Who are you?" he demanded. "How do you know about her? She's been dead for years."

The young man smiled, a bitter smile. "I don't have one particular name," he answered vaguely. "Some of you would call me 'Death', others 'The Afterlife'. Either way, I am the gateway between the living and the dead. But for your purposes, you may call me Shi."

Natsu narrowed his eyes, but a hope stirred within him. "What do you mean you can take me to her?" he asked. "I'm cursed. I can't die."

"But that's where you're wrong, Natsu Dragneel," Shi mused. "I am death, and not even an immortal curse can evade my powers." he waved a hand and the ground around him wilted, the grass turning brown and the flowers rotting, as if moving in fast forward. "But of course, my power does not come without a price."

"I'd pay any price to be able to see Lucy again," Natsu said immediately. "Say it, and I'll do it."

Shi grinned. "I need a token of your commitment, an item of sentimental value that you would never give up otherwise." he paused and his gaze drifted downward a bit. "Your father's scarf, perhaps?"

Natsu froze and touched the scarf around his neck. Igneel's scarf, the only thing he had to remember his father by.

"Do you love this Lucy Heartfilia enough to give up your most prized possession?" Shi questioned, a calculating look in his eye. "Do you love her more than you cherish your father's memory?"

Natsu's fingers curled around the end of the scarf, squeezing it tightly. Could he actually give up Igneel's scarf? Could he willingly give up the memories he had with his foster father? His fist tightened in the fabric and he clenched his jaw. Lucy was worth it. If he could see her smiling face again, touch her again, then that was worth more than a hundred of Igneel's scarves. He unwrapped the scarf from his neck and held it out. "Take it," he said smoothly. "But know that if you give me a choice, I will choose Lucy every time."

Shi reached out and took the scarf from Natsu. "Yes, very good!" he said. "With that act of commitment, you've broken your curse." he snapped his fingers, and a bright light revealed a portal behind him. Shi stepped out of the way and gestured to the portal. "Go inside, Natsu Dragneel. The object of your affection waits inside."

Natsu didn't waste a second. He raced forward, practically jumping into the bright hole, and landed on his hands and knees. He winced at the odd feeling that came with it.

"Natsu," a familiar voice called out to him. Natsu's head shot up, and there she was. She looked even more beautiful than when he had first met her. She bent over and reached out a hand, a bright smile on her face. "I've been waiting for you."

"Lucy," Natsu whispered. He didn't take her outstretched hand. In fact, he completely ignored it. He shot to his feet, reaching out and taking her head between his hands, and then he kissed her. She was so warm and alive, so familiar to him, he could hardly believe that this was actually happening. For a long time, all he did was kiss her, hugging her tightly, as if she might disappear if he let her go. "Lucy, I missed you so much," he said when they finally broke apart, pressing his forehead against hers. "I love you."

Lucy smiled, intertwining her fingers with his. "I love you too," she replied. "And I'm not the only one." she turned and glanced to the side, and Natsu followed her gaze, seeing four bodies make their way towards them. There was a woman with dark gray eyes and long pink hair, tied in a familiar-looking side-ponytail, a man with his blond hair falling into his brown eyes, and another woman with short blond hair and charcoal colored eyes. His face lit up and a broad smile stretched across his face. "Nashi, Haru, Layla, my children," he cried happily.

His smile faded a bit as he turned to the fourth form, a young man with messy pink hair and chocolate brown eyes. He felt like he should know this boy, but he couldn't place a name to his face. "Who's this?" he asked Lucy, gesturing to the young man.

Lucy smiled up at her husband. "That's Shin," she answered.

"Our fourth child," Natsu finished for her, remembering the name that the two of them had picked out for their last child. He felt tears pricking his eyes, and he wiped them away. "Our family is complete."

Lucy leaned her head on Natsu's shoulder. "Welcome home," she murmured, squeezing his hand.

Natsu smiled broadly and leaned down to kiss his one and only love, pulling her against him once more. He would catch up with Lucy later; for now, he was content to kiss the living daylights out of her.


End file.
